Product description

John L. Esposito is one of America's leading authorities on Islam. In this brilliant portrait of Islam today- and tomorrow- he draws on a lifetime of thought and research to provide an accurate, richly nuanced, and revelatory account of the fastest growing religion in the world. Here Esposito explores the major questions and issues that face Islam in the 21st century and that will deeply affect global politics: Is Islam compatible with modern notions of democracy, rule of law, gender equality, and human rights? How representative and widespread is Islamic fundamentalism and the threat of global terrorism? Can Muslim minority communities be loyal citizens in America and Europe? In the midst of these questions Esposito places an important emphasis on the issue of Islamophobia, the threat it poses, and its vast impact on politics and society in the US and Europe. He also turns the mirror on the US and Europe and paints a revealing portrait of how we appear to Muslims.
Recent decades have brought extraordinary changes in the Muslim world, and in addressing these issues, Esposito paints a complex picture of Islam in all its diversity-a picture of urgent importance as we face the challenges of the coming century.

Author information

John L. Esposito is University Professor of Religion and International Affairs at Georgetown University and Founding Director of the Prince Alwaleed Bin-Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding. He is the editor of The Oxford Encyclopedia of Modern Islam and The Oxford History of Islam, and author of Unholy War, What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam, and many other acclaimed works.

Review quote

"A Georgetown University professor and well-known scholar of Islam, Esposito analyzes the current and future practice of Islam in this short but insightful volume... Esposito's enthusiasm for his topic makes his book an easy and enlightening read."--Publishers Weekly"Esposito's book is a calculated appeal to the moderate middle ground upon whom the success of Obama's policies depends. Esposito is the right man for the job: he is a leading scholar of modern Islam, with more than 35 books on the subject to his credit, and heads a centre for Christian-Muslim understanding at Georgetown University. Through his scholarship and engaging writing, Esposito proposes the way forward for a better future for both Islam and the west."--The Financial Times"Esposito's newest book is a well-researched, richly nuanced portrait of Islam. Though manageable at 234 pages, the book is both comprehensive and in-depth. His choices are fascinating and provide a road map for the myriad ways in which Islam is changing and adapting to new challenges. 'The Future of Islam' is a step in the right direction."--The Christian Science Monitor"The Future of Islam will be welcomed by readers who want a solid overview of where Islam and Muslims are now...Esposito provides, in short, the kind of information that is all too often lacking in U.S. foreign policy approaches to Muslims and the Muslim world."--America Magazine"Esposito, who has spent some three decades writing books that present Islam and Muslims to nonspecialists, is at his best here." ---Foreign Affairs"A powerful call for mutual respect between Muslims and non-Muslims and for a paradigm change in US-foreign policy, though in a balanced and informed way, offside populist argumentation."--Der Islam

Table of contents

Acknowledgments ; Introduction ; 1. The Many Faces of Islam and Muslims ; 2. God in Politics ; 3:"Islam Needs a Reformation: Where is its Martin Luther?" ; 4: America and the Muslim World: Building a New Way Forward ; Conclusion ; Notes ; Index